A astromycologist who is where he belongs
by TFALokiwriter
Summary: Right where he belonged. Future fic, au.


"Sure you're all right?" Hugh asked.

Paul gripped onto the sink with his eye wincing, blinking rapidly, adjusting his vision for what he was seeing at the mirror. One moment he saw himself with Klingon characteristics, the forehead ridges, gray skin, and his ugly white sharp teeth. He blinked, he was Vulcan. He blinked, he was a Cardassian. He blinked, he was a synthetic artificial life form in a alien robot body. He blinked, he was half plant. He blinked, he was a Betazoid. He blinked, Hugh was by his side scanning him with a medical tricorder. Paul's vision steadied. He turned in the direction of his favorite partner placing a hand onto the side of Hugh's cheek.

"I am, dear doctor," Paul said.

"Perhaps we should go in tomorrow," Hugh said. "We did skip an appointment this morning."

Paul smiled, shaking his head.

"It was worth the trip for the Kasselian Opera," Paul said. "It'll fade. In time." It a was a lie, and they both knew it. They wanted to believe in that lie.

Paul planted a kiss onto Hugh's lips. He was still here, Hugh was still here, and most of all a reminder that Paul was still alive. Paul's hands were on the man's cheeks while Hugh's hands were placed onto the man's torso on to the sides. It was a reminder to Paul that what he was experiencing was real. The reality he was born and made in. It gripped him down to the ground. Paul let go of Hugh's dark face feeling along the growing but graying beard along the man's face making a curl. What they had together was time. All the time in the world. Paul leaned back then took Hugh's hand with a gentle squeeze.

"Going to check on your mushrooms tonight, again?" Hugh asked.

"You know they help me sleep," Paul said.

"Not because you are feeling guilty that you used them to see something you shouldn't," Hugh raised an eyebrow. Concern lacing his voice.

"No, they're just a reminder of what we stopped together. . .A war," Paul said. "my love for you saved the federation. It's a beautiful reminder, and if you keep thinking that it's for nefarious purposes then I am going to have to add a rose garden to it." A smile grew on Hugh's face bringing a admiring, loving look on the Astromycologist's face. The two men shared a laugh together. Hugh let go of Paul's hand then went into the old fashioned shower and began humming Kasselian Opera

Paul made his way out of the bedroom opening the twin doors. He saw his collection of fungis. They were inside a green house with transparent windows and grays support beams. He looked up to see through the windows the stars. Stars that he had been fortunate to serve alongside for only better part of a year. Michael was somewhere out there in space as a _captain_ after having been pardoned and her record deleted thanks to Admiral Cornwell's insistence due to her acts on the field to end the war. The Sporedrive was now banned due to what had been discovered what was happening to his brain from jumping. Saru was part of a science assignment. And the other bridge crewmembers went on to Constitution Class assignments. He missed Tilly, truly. He saw the shape of clouds in the sky. The shape of the universe going straight down like a ring. Perhaps it was his fungi superpower allowing him to see the beautiful sight. He walked alongside his mushrooms. He witnessed some spores flying out in the air. Paul smiled flying through the spores tenderly looking at his mushrooms. The circular light blue spore tailed after him.

Paul smiled at the fungi, then closed his eyes to visualize the empty space on the Discovery where his mushrooms used to be. A empty storage room. When he opened his eye, he was free with cool air and a non-slick gray scenery. Paul was grateful for Michael, Tyler, and Lorca. Even the latter two he hadn't heard from them in months or read about them at all. He looked over to see Hugh standing against the door frame smiling in his short sleeved PJ's that sparkled at night. His 'special bright grays' made Hugh appear to be a figurine in steel almost glowing. Paul made sure to take care of the night shift for the greenhouse. Paul reappeared in a blue flash in front of Hugh earning a stifled laugh and his arms laced onto the man's slender shoulders. It wasn't easy getting used to having his husband suddenly warp his way by his side (and people never noticed, Paul planned to keep it that way) with their forehead's touching. Paul's hands came to his partner's side as they absorbed in the presence rather than the routinely, nightly kiss. Six months since the Battle of Pahvos. Hugh stepped aside then brought his partner with him to bed. The doors closed automatically. It was Paul who crashed into the bed first then crawled into Hugh's arms and placed his head on to the dark man's chest. The sudden warp only happened once in a blue moon, nightly, when it came to Paul. Hugh held his husband with one hand on the middle of the man's back and the other holding Paul's hand.

Permanently earthbound, retired, ranked as a Vice Admiral too early.

Paul was pretty happy.

Right where he belonged.

 **The End.**


End file.
